Steam traction tug-boat



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' UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

DAVID W. GOOKF, OF FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.

STEAM-TRACTION TUG-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,231, dated March18, 1884. Application filed August 2, 187). Renewed July 20, 1881. Againrenewed July 25,1833. (Model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, DAVID W. 000KB, of Franklin, Williamson county, inthe State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam Traction Tug- Boats; and I do hereby declare thatthe following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany andform part of this specification, is a description of myinventionsuflicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

This invention relates to a submerged traction tug-boat which runs uponrails laid upon the bottom of a canal for the purpose of towingcanal-boats and barges, &c.

The invention consists in the pecular construction of a tractiontugboat, and the construction and arrangement of the internal partsthereof. The bow of this traction boat is made sharp, while its stern ismade concave; and, also, the boatis made with three water compartments,one of which is situated at the bow of said heat, while the other twoare upon sides of said boat, and extending from the stern to aboutonet-hird the length of said heat. These tanks or water-compartments areconnected bya system of pipes, which are provided with valves, so thatthe quantity of water can be equalized within said tanks, or made tomaintain a constant level, according to the inclination or pitch of theboat. A pump is employed to pump waterfrom the loow-tanlc whenvrequired. are provided, in'whieh the traction-wheels are located. Saidwheels revolve upon journals which are supported by standards projectingfronr a horizontal swinging platform, said platform being pivoted at oneend, while its other end is provided with a vertical screw, which, onturning, causes the platform, with the traction-wheels thereon, to riseand fall, as circumstances require. Upon each side of the stern of thistraction tug-boat 1' affix two guide-brakes, which are for the purposeof being thrown out at right angles to the sides of the boat when saidboat is to be stopped.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved tract-ion tugboat. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fi 3 represents a plan view of Fig. 1.Fig. .4: represents the stern, end view of the improved tractioutug,with Two well-spaces the traction-wheels resting upon rails laid uponthe bed of a canal. tion of the traction tug-boat, cutting through thetwo stern water-compartn1ents Like letters refer to corresponding partsin all of the figures.

In Fig. 1, A represents a tug or tow boat mounted oh traction-wheels Gand trucks m at, said wheels and trucks running upon submerged rails H,laid on the bottom of a canal.

' K is a valve upon the sides of the boat, closing an orifice whichopens into water-coinpartments, and for the purpose of filling saidcompartments with water and discharging the same whennecessary. B is theboiler, which supplies the motive power for driving the tractiontug-boat, and for pumping water out of the bow-tank by means ofengineeand pump it, 3 being an induction-pipe leading from the interiorof the tank, at or nearits bottom, to

the'pump, and J the eduction or discharge pipe therefrom. Z is asteering or guide wheel secured to a vertical shaft, Z, which extendsthrough the bottom of the boat, where it is attached to the frame-workwhich connects the four guide-trucks'm. I is a pipe for conducting steamfrom the boiler to engine a is a capstan-wheel. "b is a pipe or redconnecting with and supporting the rear of the swinging platform. D is asteanrcylinder, and k a pis- Fig. 5 is a cross-sec ton-rod thereto,which connects with the t-iller-cords, said cords extending over andconnecting with the tillers of a train of boats or barges. a is apipefor conducting steam from the boiler to cylinder D. c is awheel securedto a vertical screw-shaft, c, said means being for the purpose ofelevating and depressing theswinging platform and tractionovheelsattached thereto. L is a pin secured to the deck of the traction-tug, towhich is secured the draft connecting-link b. E represents a rudder erguide-brake attached to the side or corner of the stern of the tug-boat.

In the longitudinal vertical section Fig. 2, A represents the tractiontug-boat, and Ba vertical steam-boiler therein. G is a tractionwheelresting upon the track H. Said wheel is provided with a central shaftand crank thereon. The journals of said shaft rest and turn in a boxsecured to standard (I, which platform rests upon two extension-bars,which sistance to be overcome.

eXtend from standards (I, and with offsets therein, which inclose theboiler, to the bowtank, where they unite and rest upon-a fulcrum, g;and, also, another support is provided, which consists of twosupporting-rods, g, connecting with the driving-enginef and extendingforward, where they are connected by swivel or other suitable joints, hh, to rod 1), said rod being attached to the upright boiler B. Theopposite end of the platform rests upon a screw, 0, said screw beingturned by wheel a when the platform is to be elevated or depressed. Garepartition-walls which separate the interior of the boat from thewellspaces in which the traction-wheel is located. Said walls areprovided with curved slots, in which the aXle'or wheel-shaft rises andfalls when operated by screw 0. -D are cylinders for operating theguide-brakes upon a train of boats. at are pipes for conducting steam tosaid cylinders. 1 represents pipes connecting the tanks, the water beingcontrolled by valve 0. z and k are the means for pumping water from tankto when required, said means being driven by steam conducted from theboiler through pipe I. m m are guide-trucks, which are steered by thewheel Zupon the vertical shaft Z.

.In Fig. 3, A represents the boat, and B a steam-boiler therein. 0 O aretwo tractionwheels, located in wells 1 t. Said wells are built withinthe boat, and have open ends within the concave stern. Between each oneof these wells and the sides of the boat the tanks G G are formed, forthe purpose of receiving water as a ballast and weight, to give agreater traction to the traction-wheels when required to overcome theresistance offered by a train of heavily freighted boats. By this meansthe traction can be regulated according to the re- H H are the rails onwhich the traction-wheels run. E E are .two guide-brakes secured to thecorner of the stern of the boat. F is the swinging platform, from whichstandards (I (1 project and support the traction-wheels when not restingupon the track; but when said wheels rest upon the track these partsrest upon the wheels, together with the weight of the boat, and thewater contained within the tanks, minus the buoyancy due to thedisplacement of the surrounding waters by the traction tug-boat, and theweight which rests upon the forward guide-trucks. The tractiondriving-wheels are driven by two engines, ff. These engines are locatedupon the platform F, and are elevated and depressed with said platform.The fulcrunrpoint of said platform is at the eX- trernity of theoffset-rods q q, at or near the bow-tank M, or at the ends of the rods 9g at the sides of the boiler, as shown.

I do not limit myself to the method herein shown and described fordriving the tractionwheels, for I am aware that they can be driven by atoothed wheel and pinion arranged in a suitable manner between thecenter of said 'wheel and the circumference thereof, in whichtransmitted through or by means of a belt or a chain composed ofsuitable links to correspond with spuds or projections projecting fromsuitably-arranged wheels. Either one of the above devices can bearranged upon the swinging frame, or a part thereof, and in such amanner that all of the parts will act in unison.

19 are two pipes connecting the forward and aft tanks. Said pipes arelocated at or near the bottom of said tanks, and are for the purpose ofequalizing or allowing the water to flow from tank to tank when a changein the level of the boat occurs, or when the rear of the boat isdepressed. By raising the platform by the screw the water in the forwardtank will be higher than the water in the rear tank. Now, in order toequalize the two columns, the valves 0 v0 are opened, and thewaterflowsfrom the bow-tank to the tractiontank until the two columnsare equal; and, also, when the stern of the boat is elevated, which isdone by depressing the platform, the water will flow back through thepipes 10 p into the bow-tank until the column is again equalized.

In the rear end view of the traction tugboat, Fig. 4:, A represents theboat; B, the

boiler therein. 0 O are the traction-wheels thereto, resting upon therails H H. E E are the guide-brakes, which are operated by thesteam-cylinder D D.

In the crossseetion Fig. 5, A represents the boat, and G G thewater-compartments; W- WV the water thereimwhich 'is-represented asbeing higher than the surrounding water in the canal. p p are ends ofthe pipes 12 1), which connect the two tanks G G with the bow-tank, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3. d d are standards, to which the traction-wheelsare secured, and rise and fall with said standards and platform. 1) vare slots in the well-space partition for the rise or fall of thetractionwheels, aXle,-or shaft.

The operation of my traction tug-boat is as follows: The bottom of acanal is provided with asingle or double track railroad, as shown in thedrawings at Figs. 4 and 5., These fig ures represent a cross-section ofa canal, with two traction tug-boats partially submerged therein, andwith its traction-wheels resting upon the rails. Said traction-wheelscan be made of any suitable material, and also the track; but those madeof iron will be the most durable, but have less traction force than ifmade from wood. In order to use the traction boat, it is floated on overthe track, and then the traction-wheels are let down upon the track byturning the vertical screw-shaft, which causes the platform to bedepressed toward the bottom of the boat, and at the same time theforward guide-track can be brought in contact with the rails by fillingthe bow tank with a sufficient amount of water to cause a depression ofthe forward part of the boat, until said trucks come in contact withsaid rails. It will now be observed that the traction-wheels and trucksrest lightly upon the rails, and that if the motive power should beapplied to the traction-whecls it would require but a slight resistanceto hold the boat, although the wheels would make their customaryrevolutions; but when a freighted canal boat or barge or a train of themare to be drawn, the traction-wheels must be weighted down until thefriction of the wheels upon the rails will overcome the resistance to bedrawn or towed. Now, in order to produce the necessary amount offriction, I open the side valves, which let water into thetractiont-anhs until weight enough is applied to the wheels to overcometheresistance. By leaving the valves in the circulating pipe open, theforward or how tank will be filled to an equal height with the water inthe traction-tank, and within the same time. 'When great friction isrequired to overcome the resistance, the screw can be turned so as tolet the boat down to its lowest limit or upon the track and y thetractiontanks allowed to fill, after which the boat can be elevated byreversing the turn of the screw, thus bringing the water in the tankabove the surface of the external water.

When it becomes necessary to remove the boat from the track, the pump isemployed to pump the water fronrthe forward tank, and, with the valvesleft open in the connectingpipes, the tractioirtanks will also beemptied, thereby causing the boat to rise, wherebythe traction-wheelsand trucks are cleared from the track, thus allowing the boat to floatto any place desired, and again placed on the track by repeating theoperation above described.

"What I claim, and desire to secure by ters Patent, is-

1. A. steam traction tug-boat provided with two well-spaces open attheir stern ends, and with traction-wheels therein, in combination withavertically-swingi'ng horizontal platform, with motor or motors thereonfor driving said traction-wheels, substantially as described.

2. A steam traction tug-boat provided with a water-compartment at ornear the bow end thereof, in combination with the aligning Let- .guide-trucks beneath said bow and water-compartment, as described, andfor the purpose herein set forth.

3. A steam traction tugboat provided with traction-driving wheels andaligning guidetruclrs thereto, the two water traction-compartments andbow-tank therein, in combination with connecting and circulating pipesand valves thereto, substantially as described, and for the purposesherein set forth.

4:. In combination with the swinging platform F, withsupporting-standards d d, and traction-wheels 6, supported thereon anddriven by engines f f, connected thereto and supported upon and swingingwith said plat .partments form, the vertical shaft 0, with screw 0thereon for elevating and depressing said tractionwheels and partsconnected therewith and thereto, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The two traction water compartments filled or partly filled withwater as a means for affording additional weight and traction force,. incombination with the elevating-shaft c and screw a, swinging platform1*, engines ff, and tractionwheels O 0, connected thereto and therewith,whereby the accumulated weight derived from the water in said tanks andincreased weight due to the elevation of said boat is transferred to thesaid tractionwheels, as described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. In combination with the supporting-rods b I), attached to boiler 13,rod or bars 9 g, and jointed connection h' h, in combination with theengines f if and platform F, substantially as arranged, and for thepurpose specified.

7. In combination with the bow end of a steamtraction tug-boat providedwith a water-ballast compartment therein, the aligning guide-trucks m m,provided with the vertical shaft Z, with hand-wheel Z thereon for elevating and depressing the bow end of said boat when more or less tractionis required upon the submerged rails. 8. In combination with a steamtug-boat provided with well-spaces and traction-wheels therein, and.water traction and ballast comwithin said boat, and connecting pipestherewith and valves thereto, constructed and arranged as shown anddescribed, the pump k, with induction and eduction pipes 3 and j, andexternal valve, K, for opening and filling said tanks, as arranged, andfor the purpose herein set forth.

9. In a steam traction tug-boat having acoucave stern, the water-ballastcompartments,

and well-spaces with traction-wheels therein,

all located at the stern end of said boat, in combination with the trackon which said tractionwheels roll. p

10. Ina steam traction tug-boat having a concave stern and well-spacesopening through said stern, said well-spaces and traction-wheelstherein, in combination with the water-ballast compartment and submergedtrack, for the purpose specified.

11. In a steam traction tug-boat, a frame horizontally located, ornearly so, and swing ing about a pivotal point at or near one of itsends, while at or near its opposite end a traction wheel or wheels arelocated and caused to rise and fall with said frame by means of a screwor its equivalent, and the packed slides, which are caused to rise andfall by means of the traction-wh eel axles, or by some other equivalentdevices, in combination with the motive or transmitting power locatedupon and swinging with said frame and traction wheel or wheels.

W'itnesses: DAVID IV. OOOKE.

J OHN BLEWI'IT, A. G. GUN.

